


Life Debt's Are Curious Things

by MWolfe13



Series: Holiday Hideaway [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family Reunion, Hermione's Haven, HolidayHideaway19, Life Debt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21740461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MWolfe13/pseuds/MWolfe13
Summary: It was a way for him to repay a life debt. It was a chance for her to show her family she didn't end up alone.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Hermione Granger
Series: Holiday Hideaway [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089185
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17
Collections: Hermione's Holiday Hideaway 2019





	Life Debt's Are Curious Things

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Hermione's Haven Holiday Hideaway 2019.
> 
> Pairing: Hermione/Killian Jones
> 
> Location: Toronto, Quebec, Canada
> 
> Movie/Story Prompt: Holiday in Handcuffs
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter or Once Upon a Time! Or Canada!

Killian scowled at the empty bottle he’d just tried to take a swig from, finding it empty of even the merest hint of alcohol. Well damn, that wasn’t good. How was he to get drunk now? No ship, no woman, no alcohol… Honestly, the God’s were toying with him and he’d had enough of it.

He lifted himself from the edge of the docks, determined in his inebriated state to find a way back to Storybrooke and...and… Well, he couldn’t quite remember but he’d do something. He stumbled towards the edge, almost falling off, but righted himself before he could plunge into the dark waters below. 

“Watch out!”

Startled, Killian whirled around to face the voice, his foot slipping on the wet wood beneath his feet. He fell on his back, banging his head on a post. His last thought before slipping unconscious into the water was that the God’s really did hate him.

* * *

Hermione gasped as the man fell over the docks. Oh no… She hadn’t meant for him to bang his head and drown! Running with her wand in hand, she jumped after him. The water was freezing, the temperature a shock to her system. She struggled against the need to get out, casting a bubble-head charm around her face and lighting the tip of her wand to see.

Hermione found him sinking slowly, eyes closed and mouth no longer spouting bubbles. She kicked her legs to get her body moving, doing her best to swim towards him. She caught up to him quickly, his body moving slower than hers. She looped an arm around his waist, eyes widening at the bulge she felt at his hip. Was he part of the police? He hadn’t looked like part of Toronto’s police force.

She berated herself as soon as she started to dwell on it. This man didn’t have time for her to wonder about his occupation. He didn’t have the available air she did. Making sure she was gripping him tightly, she started to swim up to the surface.

They didn’t move.

He was too heavy, she realized. Hermione might have been a decent swimmer, but she’d never had to carry the dead weight of someone bigger than her. She’d have to use magic.

She extinguished the light from her wand, her visibility disappearing. She fought back the instinctual fear of dark places, focusing her mind on the right spell needed to get them out of her. Once again making sure her hold on the man was secure, Hermione raised her wand where she thought the platform was. “Ascendio!” she shouted.

The magic vaulted them through the water, the man’s weapon banging against her side. They landed hard on the docks, air leaving Hermione from the shock of chilled air and the abrupt landing. She struggled with her breathing for a bit, taking in wheezing breaths and trying to get her bearings. Merlin, she forgot why she avoided Canada like the plague. Well, this was the first time she’d had to save a man from drowning but this whole event was just a sign that her family reunion was cursed.

The man. Bloody hell.

Scrambling to her knees, she crawled her way to the man laying on his back. He was as soaked as she was, but no breaths were coming from his chest. The back of his head was sluggishly bleeding, not enough to indicate severe blood loss but combined with his trip into the lake, Hermione knew this was bad. Raising her wand, she pointed at his throat. “Anapneo.”

Water sputtered from his mouth. Hermione turned his body to the side to allow it all to come out. He was definitely awake from the choking sounds being made as his body fought to get air. He was shivering as well. She was shivering. Merlin, what she wouldn’t give to be on a warm beach right now. She healed the wound at his head and then placed warming charms over both of them. A weird feeling came over Hermione as she was performing magic on him. It wasn’t something she’d felt before.

The thought was put out of her mind when the man collapsed onto his back. He was eyeing her warily, eyes roving over her form and back up to her face. “And who are you?”

She bit her lip. “My name’s Hermione. You fell over the docks into the water. I got you out.”

“Bloody hell,” he groaned. He placed a hand at his face. Hermione was startled to realize it wasn’t a hand, but a hook. “The day I need to be saved from the seas by some dainty princess is the day they should strip me of my Captaincy.”

She frowned. “I beg your pardon. I am not some dainty princess.”

His eyes locked on hers, mouth quirking up into a small smirk. “You sure speak like one.”

Hermione huffed, folding her arms over her chest. “Well you  _ did _ need saving, and I did it, so I guess…” And suddenly she knew what that weird feeling was. Oh, of course. “You’re a magical creature.”

It was his turn to frown. “The fuck I am. Name’s Killian Jones.”

“No,” Hermione insisted. “I am sure you are.”

Killian sighed, eyes rolling to the sky. “Look, lass, I’m not some fairy or dwarf. I have no magic. Trust me, I’m as far from a magical creature as one can get.”

Hermione shrugged. “I think you’re lying. Why else would my saving you create a life debt?” He froze, looking at her sharply. She nodded. “You feel it, don’t you? The tug in your chest is a life debt, owed to me for saving your life.”

Killian opened his mouth to deny it, but then stopped, eyes narrowing and his frown turned to a scowl. “Undo it, lass. I won’t be indebted to anyone.”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Don’t you know anything about life debts? You have to do something that benefits me before your magic feels the debt has been paid. It doesn't necessarily have to mean you saving my life, but your magic will know.”

“I don’t have magic,” he grit out.

Her eyebrows raised. “Then you wouldn’t have the feeling of a life debt.”

Killian took a calm, steady breath. “Tell me what I can do, lass. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t be indebted to anyone.”

Hermione shook her head. “Honestly, I wouldn’t know what…” No. She couldn’t… “Well, there is one thing. It would help me tremendously.”

“Name it,” Killian encouraged.

* * *

“Your family sounds like all kinds of fucked up, lass.”

Hermione snorted in agreement, but said nothing, concentrating on the road. They’d been driving for hours now, making the long trek from Toronto to Quebec where Hermione’s extended family made her home. To be honest, she hadn’t even thought she’d see these relatives again, but her parents had asked it of her. She’d always been alienated from the family, her attitude and knowledge too much for her cousins at their young age. Then her magic had come, and there went any chance of Hermione ever fitting in with her family. Not that she wanted to. They actually were, as Killian put it, all kinds of fucked up.

“And you think they’ll believe that we’re together? Even your parents don’t know me, lass.”

She sighed, “I haven’t seen most of these people in ages. They wouldn’t have a clue what’s going on in my life.” 

Killian was silent for a moment. “And you’re sure this will resolve the life debt between us.”

Hermione shrugged. “Only you will know, Killian.” She gave him a small smile. “This really is helping me, so I don’t see why not. I had half-convinced myself to make an excuse before all this happened. I already knew the topic would be my love life, and I didn’t want to tell them there is nothing to speak of.”

“I don’t see why not,” Killian drawled. “The men always go for the dainty princesses.”

She laughed, “Not this princess.” She made the turn that would take them to the family grounds. “We’re almost there.” Suddenly she was nervous. This had been a  _ terrible _ idea. Her mother would see right through her, and-

Killian laid a hand on her knee. Hermione hadn’t realized it had been bouncing in agitation until he stopped it. “Don’t worry, lass. We’ll put on the performance of our lives.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

His hand squeezed her knee softly before letting go. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is totally not done, but I had a word count limit of 3k sooo...yeah.. Expect to see more of this, because my muse loved this idea so much, it'll have a few more chapters.


End file.
